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In the late 1800’s architects in Chicago were among the first to use steel-frame construction in commercial buildings, with the weight of the building carried by the frame, and not masonry load-bearing walls. This technique revolutionized architecture, allowing the first skyscrapers, expansive windows, and eventually curtain walls of glass, stone, terra-cotta, or steel. Also known as commercial style, it swept across the U.S., and includes the iron front buildings found on virtually every main street in America.